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RECG Equipment and Droids
Reference Book: Star Wars Saga Edition Rebellion Era Campaign Guide War breeds technological innovations, a rule that held true during the Clone Wars and that continues to be borne out by the Galactic Civil War. However, by the time of the Rebellion, the Empire has not yet recovered from the economic and military exhaustion of the Clone Wars, nor has the Empire encouraged independent companies to develop new ideas. In many cases, those most willing to innovate are the ones who have the fewest resources and the least safety with which to do so. While the Empire focuses on mammoth superweapons designed to strike fear into the populace, the Alliance turns to new uses of older technologies as a matter of survival. Rogues and honest beings alike must carefully consider the consequences of developing new technology and wonder who might come to claim it. This chapter presents new Weapons, Equipment, and Droids that are available for use by anyone in The Rebellion Era. Other chapters in this book present items that are used primarily by The Rebel Alliance (The Rebel Alliance), The Galactic Empire (The Empire), and The Fringe (Fringe Factions). Imperial Contraband See also: Restricted Items While the Empire controls the galaxy, a number of items that were once merely Rare or Restricted become Illegal contraband. As a result, many pieces of equipment that were legal (If tightly regulated) under the Republic are outlawed entirely, affecting not only their availability but also the penalty for being caught with such items. Many items with a particular availability tag (Licensed, Restricted, Military, Illegal, or Rare) are more tightly restricted or outright banned under the Empire. For example, Lightsabers, which were once given the Rare availability tag, become Illegal under Imperial rule. As a general guideline, the availability tags for equipment in the Saga Edition Core Rulebook are accurate representations of those items' availability during the time of the Empire, with a few exceptions. All weapons in the Lightsabers weapon group are considered Illegal and Rare, although the Empire overlooks possession of such items for its chosen representatives. Additionally, items with a Military availability cannot be obtained legally through non-Imperial channels, not even by local planetary militias and system defense forces (Most of which are absorbed by the Empire, anyway). Military items obtained on the Black Market are Illegal in the hands of private citizens, and those who carry such items risk stiff penalties if they are discovered. Melee Weapons The Empire does not see melee weapons other than Lightsabers as a major threat. Its laws regarding such weapons are usually lax, and it does not use sophisticated methods to detect them. Unpowered melee weapons are ignored as too primitive to worry about, and even vibro weapons are considered irrelevant to blaster-armed Stormtroopers. In general, civilians and crime lords think that bringing a Vibrodagger to a meeting is less unfriendly than openly carrying a Blaster Pistol. 1: Can be Thrown Ranged Weapons Many new weapons come out of the Empire's weapons research centers, and some of those weapons eventually find their way into the hands of civilians. The following ranged weapons are suitable for campaigns in The Rebellion Era, and may be used in other ears with Gamemaster permission. 1: Is an Accurate Weapon 2: Is an Inaccurate Weapon 3: Is an Area Attack Weapon Armor Most armor used in this era either belong to specialized Stormtrooper units, or is one of the types found in the Saga Edition Core Rulebook. The following new piece of armor is a specialized arm piece worn by the Force-using tradition known as The Kilian Rangers. 1: Can be worn in tandem with clothing or with other Armor. Equipment Most of the equipment in use during The Rebellion Era appears in the Saga Edition Core Rulebook. In many areas, items left over from the Clone Wars and the years that followed are more common than are pieces of new technology. But like all conflicts, the Galactic Civil War spurs advances in existing technology, and this new technology can be acquired in major spaceports and trade cities. Droids During The Rebellion Era, most beings don't trust Droids, partially because they were weapons of terror during the Clone Wars and partially because rogue Droids have become much more common. With warfare gripping the galaxy for a second generation, many Droids lose their masters, and others go so long without proper maintenance and memory-wipes that they develop a rogue streak and walk off on their own. In the last years of The Galactic Republic, a Droid wandering off by itself was assumed to be running an ordinary mission for its owner. Now, many citizens fear that any free-roaming Droid is a renegade unless a Restraining Bolt is clearly visible. Droid licensing is stronger in The Core Worlds, whereas on the galactic fringe, signs declaring "Droids Not Welcome" are common. 1st-Degree Droids The most common 1st-Degree Droids are medical models; civilians rarely encounter other types of 1st-Degree Droids. Newer models are very expensive and heavily licensed by the Empire, so most beings do with whatever older models they can keep running. 2nd-Degree Droids 2nd-Degree Droids were the focus of the most impressive technological advances during The Rebellion Era, in large part because of the need to maintain older equipment coupled with the increasing importance of Starfighter combat. Astromech and Repair Droids are strong sellers for all companies that manufacture them, as are kits to repair, upgrade, or modify existing Droids. Many of the most successful 2nd-Degree Droids incorporate simple designs that empathize durability and flexibility. 3rd-Degree Droids Since the years of the Clone Wars, every major government and organization has used 3rd-Degree Droids to inform local populations of the impending arrival of troops (And the impending seizure of property and goods). As a result, most civilians greet the arrival of 3rd-Degree Droids with open hostility. 4th-Degree Droids The failure of the Separatists' Battle Droids to win the Clone Wars proved disastrous for the further development of military Combat Droids. Although the Empire sometimes creates Droid warriors and assassins, few 4th-Degree Droid models have been created for civilian use.